Chapter Books

Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George This is the sequel to one of our favorite chapter books, Tuesdays in the Castle. We return to magical Castle Glower, and to Celie (a strong and resourceful young princess) and her family. Castle Glower is behaving strangely. Oh, it still is creating new rooms, or moving…

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake Billy is a boy who frequently walks by a boarded-up old sweet shop near his house. He wishes someone would open up a new sweet shop there – he even wishes that he could make it into a sweet shop again.…

Kid Lit Giveaway Blog Hop in Honor of Children’s Book Week I’m trying something new here with Bookworm Bear: the Kid Lit Giveaway Blog Hop in Honor of Children’s Book Week. Bookworm Bear will be giving one lucky reader a $20 gift certificate to Amazon.com. All you need to do to enter (one entry per…

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin This is a story about Wanda. But, it is also a story about Maddie, and about Peggy. It is a story about being a little different, and a story about bullying and how a group treats someone who is a little different. Wanda was a…

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo “My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog.” So begins this compelling middle grade novel by Kate DiCamillo. Opal, the main…

The Cobble Street Cousins series by Cynthia Rylant has a sweet, old-timey feel – with everyday things making the stories, and nothing really upsetting happening. These books are great for newer readers who are ready to tackle chapter books (around 55 pages), but still enjoy having smaller illustrations on most pages. The series has at…

Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole by Wong Herbert Yee Mouse and Mole are neighbors, sharing the same tree. They are friends, and they have their differences. But, as friends, they try to work out any conflicts with some creative problem solving. Mole sweeps his hole every morning to keep it tidy. Mouse sweeps her house every…

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, illustrated by Garth Williams Chester Cricket was a country cricket. He enjoyed hopping around in his meadow, sitting on his stump, and eating liverwurst. Chester Cricket hopped onto a picnic blanket to eat part of a liverwurst sandwich – and found himself bundled up with the sandwich…

The Blue Hill Meadows by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Ellen Beier Willie Meadow lives with his family (mother, father, and big brother) in Blue Hill, Virginia – a green valley with mountains and lakes nearby. Things in Blue Hill seem to belong to a simpler, slower time. This is a book about Willie and his…

The End of the Beginning by Avi Avon was a snail who lived in a tree, read a great many books, and longed for adventure. “It was absolutely necessary, he decided, to have adventures for himself. Only then would he be happy.” He set out to have adventures, and was joined by a new friend,…